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Naturwissenschaften

Title:		Suppression pheromone and cockroach rank formation
Author(s):		Kou R; Chang HW; Chen SC; Ho HY;
Address:		"Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 115, Republic of China. kourong@gate.sinica.edu.tw"
Journal Title:		Naturwissenschaften
Year:		2009
Volume:		20090312
Issue:		6
Page Number:		691 - 701
DOI:		10.1007/s00114-009-0522-0
ISSN/ISBN:		1432-1904 (Electronic) 0028-1042 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Although agonistic behaviors in the male lobster cockroach (Nauphoeta cinerea) are well known, the formation of an unstable hierarchy has long been a puzzle. In this study, we investigate how the unstable dominance hierarchy in N. cinerea is maintained via a pheromone signaling system. In agonistic interactions, aggressive posture (AP) is an important behavioral index of aggression. This study showed that, during the formation of a governing hierarchy, thousands of nanograms of 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (3H-2B) were released by the AP-adopting dominant in the first encounter fight, then during the early domination period and that this release of 3H-2B was related to rank maintenance, but not to rank establishment. For rank maintenance, 3H-2B functioned as a suppression pheromone, which suppressed the fighting capability of rivals and kept them in a submissive state. During the period of rank maintenance, as the dominant male gradually decreased his 3H-2B release, the fighting ability of the subordinate gradually developed, as shown by the increasing odds of a subordinate adopting an AP (OSAP). The OSAP was negatively correlated with the amount of 3H-2B released by the dominant and positively correlated with the number of domination days. The same OSAP could be achieved earlier by reducing the amount of 3H-2B released by the dominant indicates that whether the subordinate adopts an offensive strategy depends on what the dominant is doing"
Keywords:		*Aggression Aging/physiology Agonistic Behavior/physiology Animals Cockroaches/*physiology *Dominance-Subordination Male Nephropidae/parasitology Pheromones/analysis/antagonists & inhibitors/*physiology Social Behavior Social Dominance;
Notes:		"MedlineKou, Rong Chang, Huan-Wen Chen, Shu-Chun Ho, Hsiao-Yung eng Germany 2009/03/13 Naturwissenschaften. 2009 Jun; 96(6):691-701. doi: 10.1007/s00114-009-0522-0. Epub 2009 Mar 12"